


Time Flies: the sweet smell of cherry blossoms

by sugarsubstitute



Series: Katsuki-Nikiforov (or Adoption AU) [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: (HAH), Angst, But mostly angst, Dialogue Heavy, Domestic Bliss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, and he's around five at this time., and references to... other things., because bubble baths are nice and cute right?, bubble baths, everyone loves yuri, in case you're not reading this as part of the series:, makakchin loves everyone, mentions of nudity, oh and did i forget to mention?, so happy holidays here's a handful of angst, that's why its rated t, there is quite a bit of:, this is a christmas gift :), victor loves his husband very much, you'll be able to tell when i started blushing while writing it, yuri is those two old married geezers' adoptive son, yuuri loves his husband very much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-18 04:25:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13092363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarsubstitute/pseuds/sugarsubstitute
Summary: “Victor, no.”“But Yuuuuuu-riiii--”“No. It’s… embarrassing.”Victor blinked indifferently. “So?”In which Victor wants Yuuri to just take a bath and relax after the latter becomes bogged down with the stresses of everyday life. However, as anxieties are pushed to the brink, both spouses are forced to reveal things that they fear could hurt one another.





	Time Flies: the sweet smell of cherry blossoms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunshineandsolace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineandsolace/gifts).



“Victor, no.”

“But _Yuuuuuu-riiii_ \--”

“No. It’s… embarrassing.”

Victor blinked indifferently. “So?” 

Yuuri groaned, slapping the palm of his hand to his forehead. Bad choice of words there, he’ll admit that. This was Victor Katsuki-Nikiforov, for goodness’ sakes – the man had no sense of shame and had most likely never even thought about the concept of embarrassment. Look at him! There he was, wearing a baby-pink, fluffy bathrobe like a 1950’s glamour queen who was one dead husband’s life-insurance away from her third consecutive cruise across the Bahamas, one hand sporting two flutes of what was most likely ludicrously expensive champagne, punctuated with a small, bobbing strawberry in each glass, and in the other a big, curved bottle of pink semi-transparent liquid; and, to top it all off, a coiling grin on his shiny lips and a glimmer in his eyes.

With a frantic, flustered gesture, Yuuri waved his arms around in Victor’s general direction. “You… the drinks, the… th-the bathrobe – _everything_!” 

The grin faded, and Victor frowned down at his attire. “Do you not like it?”

“ _What!?_ No—I mean, yes! I mean, I do like it, Victor, it’s just--” Yuuri blurted before trailing off.

“Just what?” Victor questioned.

“It’s… a lot, I guess?” Yuuri attempted. “You look amazing, of course you do, it’s just I’m not sure if I’m all that into…”

Victor raised an eyebrow and frowned deeper. 

Yuuri sighed and dragged his hand down his face. He clearly wasn’t helping things. “It’s not that I’m against it, Victor, honestly, but… if I did it, I’m sure I’d just get uncomfortable and… ruin it.”

His husband took steps towards him, tilting his head to the side. “What’s come of this, my love?” he then bit his bottom lip while a smirk made its way across his mouth. “It’s not like we haven’t done this sort of thing before.”

With those words a flush quickly bloomed across Yuuri’s cheeks, and he stepped back until he very nearly stumbled backwards over the dumped clothes that he must have dropped when Victor first walked into the room as he was. He yelped in surprise, but managed to stabilise himself despite his head spinning and his knees jellifying. His stature crumbled, his back bent over and his glasses hanging on the edge of his nose. He threw his head and stared up. “That--! That…” he blurted strongly before his words stopped dead in their tracks, and his train of thought steamed up his mind. 

Yuuri rubbed his eye, sullenly stretching upwards and shuffling his feet. “That… was a _long_ time ago, Vitya.”

A pout. “A few months isn’t all that long.”

“To you, it’s not. Time just _flies_ by for you.”

“Everything feels like it goes by faster when I’m with you, that’s why.”

Ba-dum. Damn it, Victor. Yuuri looked up in order to say something, only to find slit eyes and glossy lips inches from his.

“V-victor…!” Yuuri stammered. Too close, too close.

“My love, I want to make you feel good. And… I want to feel good too.” Victor aired over Yuuri’s mouth, leaving him tingling all over.

“You… why do you need _me_?”

“ _Because_ , Yuuri,” Victor whispered, a dusting of pink on his cheeks, “everything feels better when I’m with you.”

Then, he closed the gap.

 

“Yuuri, _Yuuri_...!” Victor whined.

He was kissing all over his face, laying himself on him as much as he could while having no hands free.

“Please! _Yuuuuuuuuuuriiiiiiiiii_.” 

Yuuri held him at an arm’s distance. “Seriously, you’re as bad as Yuri.” 

“I’ll love you foreverrrr!”

“You already do.”

Victor’s eyes grew, fluttering like feather-weight butterfly wings over his perfect blue orbs. 

“I’m… numb to your puppy-dog eyes.”

Victor slumped over. 

 

“I give up.” He frowned, staggering near to the door. “I’ll just have to… do it myself.” He shuffled. He looked back at the unmoving Yuuri. “All alone. By myself. _Alone_.”

Yuuri sighed, hands on his hips, slowly looking up at Victor again.

His husband had inched out of the door, but stuck his head back in. “I’ll be so lonely. So _lonely_ without my dearest. My love.”

“Victor…”

“My life…”

“Victor.”

“My everything!”

“ _Victor_!”

Victor quickly snapped out of his melodrama mode. “Yes?”

“…” Yuuri paused, before huffing. “I’ll do it, then.”

“You will?” Victor boldened.

Yuuri hesitantly nodded. “Yeah.”

“Oh, Yuuri!” he beamed, rushing in to kiss Yuuri on the cheeks before meeting his lips, though Yuuri wasn’t sure if it was because he was happy he said yes or because he was happy to get what he wanted; or if those two things were one in the same. “Let’s go then, it’ll be ready by now.”

Scratching his neck, Yuuri followed Victor as he pranced down the hall. Even though he just let Victor get his way yet again, he couldn’t help but let that go, because despite his helplessness to his husband it was worth it to see Victor happy because of him. 

 

The bathroom door swung open, and Victor spread his arms out. “Viola!” he presented.

Sure as can be, there it was. Their claw-footed bathtub was brimming with the froth and fizz of thick, white bubbles, and the space surrounding him filled with the faint and yet very present smell of—

“Cherry blossom.” Yuuri recognised.

“Uh-huh!” Victor nodded, lightly shaking the pink bottle in his hand. “I couldn’t find any in stock, so I had it imported. Does it smell right?”

“Y-yeah.” 

Victor smiled. 

 

“Okay, now strip.”

“W-wh-what!?” Yuuri yelped in reaction to Victor’s abrupt command.

“Well, obviously, you need to strip to get into the bath.”

Oh, right. His cheeks tinted. “Y-you… didn’t have to say it like _that,_ and so suddenly…” he weakly combatted.

Victor pursed his lips. “Would it make you more comfortable if I did it first?”

“Eh? Vic--” Yuuri began, but Victor had already set aside the drinks and the bottle of bubble bath and was swiftly untying his robe. “Ah, Victor, wait!” Yuuri wasn’t emotionally prepared!

Despite the stammered objections, the fluffy layer covering Victor’s glory was slithered off his body and cast aside. Yep, yep; he was naked, definitely one-hundred percent Certified Nude. Yuuri wasn’t sure where to look, as trying to obstruct his view with anything else was nearly impossible because _Naked Victor, Naked Victor, Naked Victor_ was running through the forefront of his mind; and still, purposefully trying to avoid Victor’s body might make him upset and there was no way Yuuri would ever let that happen. And yet… his face heated up and he couldn’t help but blind his slight with his hands. 

“Now, Yuuri, strip!” Victor followed, and Yuuri felt hands on his shirt, lifting it up and—

“Stop! S-stop! Wait!” Yuuri squealed, jerking away, and immediately the hands recanted. He parted his fingers so his eyes stuck out from them, but he still couldn’t meet Victor’s gaze as he pulled his shirt back down his stomach.

“Sorry, sorry. I got carried away…” Victor uttered, his tone flattening.

“No, no… It’s okay, I just…”

“It’s a lot?”

He nodded. “It’s a lot.” He confirmed.

Victor looked around too, as if words were written around on the walls and he was trying to pluck out the right ones to say. 

Hesitantly, Yuuri spoke up. “It’s just been… so long since I’ve… been like that around you.”

“That doesn’t matter! I love you--” Victor interrupted, as if instinctively.

“I know you do! And that makes me happy but, Victor… what if I’m still…?” 

“Yuuri…”

Yuuri shrank down. “You practically still look how you did when we first met, you still go out on morning jogs as if you’re still training; and I… I’ve practically become a recluse.”  
He chucked emptily. “Making breakfast, changing sheets, making beds, setting out clothes, getting Yuri into those clothes, making snacks, washing dishes, making lunch, washing dishes again, ironing, doing the laundry, cleaning, dusting, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, it’s just--!” Yuuri only just realised he had begun to raise his voice considerably. “It’s become… harder to face myself. Thus, harder to face you as I am now.”

A gentle hand raised to his cheek, and Yuuri was made to look up at Victor again, whose eyebrows furrowed and whose lips thinned themselves in a tight line. He’d wrapped his lower half in a towel and stepped closer towards his husband. “You should’ve told me.” Victor mumbled, but then caught himself and shook his head. “Or… at least let me know that you were struggling, I could’ve…”

“Victor.” Yuuri sighed out. “I didn’t… want to burden you. It’s not even about how I look, really. I’m not struggling, I can handle a heavy work load just fine - a skill I developed when you began coaching me.” He hummed to himself, but Victor didn’t find it amusing.

“You could never—then… what is--”

“I’m not the Katsuki Yuuri who worked half his life to skate at the same level as legends like you, all those titles, those medals - my life’s work; I had it one moment and then--” Yuuri snapped his fingers “—gone. And I know it’s what I chose, and it’s not even that I regret it because I do love this life. You, Yuri, and everything you’ve given me, it's... And yet… I look in the mirror every day, see how much my body and my routine has changed, and sometimes--” Yuuri gasped. “Sometimes I don’t recognise myself. Just for a moment, just for a split second I have no idea who the hell that reflection is; because that’s how fast it seemed that everything in my life changed, and I fear… I fear that I do miss it. And that fear alone, it’s… it’s a lot… it’s too much.” His shoulders quaked.

“Yuuri… Oh, my love.” Victor whispered gently, stepping forward as Yuuri slumped against his body and curled his arms around his neck. 

Yuuri sniffed and shook some more. “I’m sorry, Victor. I’m ruining it like I said I would.”

“No, no… it’s okay, I wanted to help you somehow. I know you’ve been stressed, but I wasn’t sure how to go about it since you’re always busying yourself with something, like it was a distraction from all these thoughts whirring around your head.”

“Heh… you know me better than you think.” Yuuri remarked, but found himself becoming even more upset. “I burdened you anyway.” He mourned. 

“That’s not it.” Victor outright dismissed.

“Then what is it?” Yuuri grumbled.

“You helped get off whatever was on your chest. The fact you did that makes me feel better, since I know for sure I didn’t do anything to upset you.”

Yuuri shook his head. “Never. Victor would never upset me as he would realize straight away that he did.”

“Yes, because whenever I did use to upset you, you would start crying.”

A small, quiet giggle. “You learned though.”

“Ah! You’re laughing; I love it when you laugh.” Victor gleamed.

A sniff, followed by another short giggle. 

 

Victor sighed lightly, slowly rocking the two of them. “In case you’d like to know, my Yuuri’s always my Yuuri.”

A nod. “I know.”

“It’s okay to feel this way about yourself, even if you begin to miss skating; but know that your accomplishments matter. You always work so hard, and it always pays off. Yuri looks up to you, you know; watches all those online videos of yours--”

“--Ugh, they were embarrassing--”

“--They _weren’t,_ they were amazing. See, your work’s hardly complete: hundreds of upcoming skaters were inspired by you, Yuuri, including our Yura; he wants to have a step-sequence as beautiful his Katsudon’s.” 

Yuuri gaped. “He _does?_ ” he simply questioned. No _way_ were so many people inspired by him, but Yuri being one of them?

 

“Of course. You know, you should help coach him.”

 

Yuuri laughed, but abruptly stopped when Victor didn’t too. “ _Seriously_?”

“ _Seriously._ He listens to you a lot more than he does me.”

A scoff.

“Don’t laugh at that.”

“Thought you liked my laughter.”

“Love it, actually. But I _am_ being serious, Yuuri. You’d be a great coach to Yura.”

Yuuri unlocked his chin from its resting place on Victor’s shoulder to look at him properly. “Are you sure though?”

Victor nodded, smiling gently. “Definitely.”

Yuuri bit his lip, then shrugged slightly. The idea of teaching Yuri something, beyond helping him read or write or speak English; but instead parting with some of his knowledge from the years of figure skating training he put himself through. It would give Yuri something he can use to relate himself to Yuuri more, and perhaps even help himself find a way to connect to skating again. And if Yuri really looked up to him like that, then how could he deny him? So, he nodded. “I’ll see if I can fit it in.”

“And I’ll do some of the chores, to lessen your work load.”

At that, Yuuri grounded himself adamantly. “No, Victor, it’s--”

Victor sighed, craning his neck up, before eyeing Yuuri once again. “You have to let me help sometimes. I know you can do the work, but it doesn’t mean you _should_.” Victor frowned.

Yuuri furrowed his brow, huffing and sighing while trying to come up with some kind of objection, but found that he didn’t really have any beyond his stubborn pride. “Fine then, if you can handle it.” He raised an eyebrow at his husband.

“I’m sure I can.” Victor said with pride lining his voice.

“Even the dishes?” Yuuri teased.

“Even the gross, grimy, dirty dishes.” He confirmed.

Yuuri laughed again, and hugged his husband, not to cry into his shoulder, but to feel his warmth surrounding him. He put his body flush up against his bare chest and wound his arms around his waist. “Sounds lovely.”

 

Then, Victor hugged him back.

 

After a few long moments of leaning into each other’s warmth and love, Yuuri thought that he felt something drip on his shoulder.

“Victor?” Yuuri asked, leaning back.

Drip-drop.

“Victor!”

Sniff-sniff. Victor wiped at his eyes with his hands.

“You’re crying.” Yuuri fretted.

“I’m… not.” Victor denied quickly. “Something in my eye. Both of them; and I must be allergic too because my nose’s running.”

“Victor, don’t lie.”

“I’m _not_.”

“Victor.”

Victor wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Vitya, please. What’s the matter? You can say.” Yuuri hushed, placing a soft hand on his husband’s shoulder.

“I can’t. I _shouldn’t_. It’s…” Victor shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter what it is, you can tell me!”

“It’s… it’s selfish and wrong. Not even a problem, actually.” Victor dismissed, waving his hand as if shooing his thoughts off before sniffing again.

Yuuri adamantly shook his head. “If it’s making you cry it’s a problem to me. You’ve already helped me, so… Tell me, please.” 

Victor held a hand to his mouth, flitting his eyes to Yuuri’s before squeezing them tight, flicking tears off of his eyelashes as he opened them again. “I…” 

His love took his hands in his, gracing his fingers over his knuckles in encouragement.

“I’ve…” Victor squeaked with a rising tone. He sobbed out: “I’ve _missed_ you!”, before he leapt at Yuuri.

“What?” Yuuri reacted, his glasses crooked as Victor had knocked them while he attached himself to Yuuri’s being. “I mean, what do you mean? I… haven’t _left_.”

“Not _technically_ but…” Victor mumbled. 

“It’s okay, you can say.” Yuuri said honestly.

 

Victor sighed. “It’s selfish of me, but… because you’re loading all this stress onto yourself, your chores – everything – I feel as if… you’ve begun to distance yourself from me.”

Yuuri’s eyes widened. “Really? I have? I d-didn’t know… I--”

Victor cried out. “This is why I didn’t want to say! You’re feeling upset and insecure and this is all just me being selfish and needy and-”

“No! No! Never, never. You’re neither of those things. You could’ve--”

“I never wanted to tell you because I thought it would just add more stress onto you. Besides, me admitting it is…”

“What?”

 

“It’s… embarrassing.”

 

“Eh?” Yuuri gaped. 

“ _Embarrassing,_ Yuuri.” Victor repeated. “I’m over thirty and yet I need constant attention and assurance like a… _toddler_.” He wailed. “You work yourself to death, and the idea of me toddling up and saying ‘Yuuri, pay _attention_ to me, _love_ me, _cuddle_ me’ is _just_ …”

Embarrassing, he said. Yuuri mentally slapped himself. Of course, that was one of the biggest misjudgments he’d made. The thought that Victor had such a strong mentality that ‘embarrassment’ and ‘shame’ were foreign to him. If only he had sought for more signs in Victor’s face, his speech, his movements, but as Yuuri thought that he cursed himself, because _of course_ he forgot. He forgot that Victor hardly ever admitted when he was hurting. Yes, he’d whine when he was cold, or when he was sore; but if he was depressed or confused? No, Victor would need those kinds of confessions to be forced out of him, and even getting to that point was a struggle, as he would hardly ever show signs that he was seriously upset, instead putting up walls and donning a mask of shallow whines and joking bravado, just like he did when he first came into the bedroom that night. “So, the bath?”

Victor sniffed. “I ran it to hopefully make you relax more, help with your back.” He began, then slumped his shoulders. “I should’ve just said I ran it for you and left it as that. But then I saw it as a chance to get close to you again. I wanted to be next to you like that so much that my original intentions were clouded by my own selfish desires.” 

Yuuri shook his head. “No. I should’ve paid more attention to you.”

“No, Yuuri. It’s just me--”

“Vitya.” Yuuri cut off, stepping closer again. “Tell me the last time I held you.”

Victor’s eyes widened, and he stepped back slightly. “I..”

“Tell me the last time I kissed you, properly.”

“Well…”

“Victor.” 

Their eyes met.

 

“When was the last time I told you that I loved you?”

 

Silence. Victor lowered his head.

Yuuri crumbled. “Oh, _God_.” 

“No, no. Yuuri, no. It’s not… You were just so busy--” Victor rambled.

“Bullshit. It’s _bullshit!_ ” Yuuri shook. “All that cooking and cleaning, and whatever, while you were feeling like this because I didn’t even take the time of day to check up on you, like I should’ve done.”

“Yuuri…”

“While I was stuck in my own little world, focused on the past, my present was right there and _needing_ me and I…” Yuuri trailed off. “I…”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s _not_.”

“It _is_.”

“It _isn’t_ … I’m _so_ sorry.”

“It’s _okay_.”

They were hugging again, clinging tightly to one another.

 

Yuuri let out a raspy sigh, burrowing into Victor’s shoulder. “I ignored your feelings.” Yuuri stated.

“I should’ve helped you before you started feeling so stressed and insecure about yourself.” Victor stated also.

“I promise… I _promise_ I’ll never ignore you like that again.” Yuuri said with a tone of self-deprecation.

“We can both learn to be more honest with each other.” Victor admitted.

Yuuri let out a wet chuckle. “I feel like we learnt that years ago.”

“People always end up learning the same lessons over and over.” Victor sighed.

They stood together in silence again, drinking in each other’s renewed warmth.

Biting his lip, Yuuri spoke up again. “Hey, Vitya.” 

“Yes?”

 

Yuuri leaned up and planted a kiss on Victor’s lips. He broke off, smiling, before threading his fingers through his hair and deepening the kiss on his second try. When they parted this time, Victor’s lips were red, face flushed, and pupils blown up.

“I love you, Vitya.” Yuuri grinned. “I love you.” Kiss. “I love you.” Kiss. “I love you.” Kiss.

Victor was dazed, hair messy and cheeks coloured a bright pink. 

Normally, Yuuri would find this embarrassing, the total lack of restraint as he kissed Victor with the passion of a drunk, half-dressed playboy chasing the tail of a seemingly unreachable beauty; but any of that was thrown out as Yuuri began feeling determined to kiss Victor until his lips turned numb. Victor loved him so much that he would sacrifice his own happiness if he thought it would spare Yuuri further damage. Victor was so great, so amazing. He always was. Always would be. Yuuri would make sure Victor knew that every day from then on.

“Vitya, I _love_ you.”

Victor’s eyes fluttered in front of him, and a few stray tears fell from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. “I love you too.” Victor beamed. “ _Forever._ ”

 

“Hey, Victor…” Yuuri giggled as Victor kissed down his neck.

“Yes, my love?” 

Yuuri pointed. “I want to go in the bath now.”

“Huh?” Victor’s eyes widened. Then, a finger went to his chin in thought. “I don’t think it’s hot anymore.”

Yuuri blinked indifferently. “So?” Then he said, “I want to have a bath with Victor.” 

“Really? You don’t mind?” Victor questioned, his lips beginning to quirk upwards.

“Victor has always said that he doesn’t care if I looked different.”

“That sentiment is still true.”

“Then,” Yuuri shrugged, before tearing off his shirt. “I want to bathe in the sweet smell of cherry blossoms with my husband.”

Victor took one look at Yuuri’s naked chest and blushed, cupping his palms to his cheeks and chuckling to himself. “If you insist.” He said, moving his hands to the towel around his waist.

 

“Ahhh, you were right, Victor. It _is_ good for my back.” Yuuri said dreamily, his head thrown back over Victor’s shoulder.

“Aren’t I always right?” he teased. “I’ll massage it later if you’d like.”

“A massage?” Yuuri cracked an eye open. “Mr Katsuki-Nikiforov, you’re trying to seduce me.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” 

Yuuri tipped his champagne glass to finish its contents. “Not at all.”

Lips pressed themselves at the back of Yuuri’s neck. “My love.”

Yuuri reveled. “Vitenka.”

“Ah!” Victor gasped suddenly. “You haven’t called me that in ages!”

“Surely, it wasn’t that long ago.” Yuuri chimed. “Ah, I feel so nice, I could melt, or at least forget half the Russian language.”

Victor propped his elbows on either side of the tub. “It’s good that the water’s still warm, then.”

“Right! I almost forgot.” Yuuri shot up, turning his head to face his love. He gave a soft, warm kiss that tasted like Victor’s ludicrously expensive champagne. “Thank you, Vitya, for doing this for me.”

Smiling, Victor placed his thumb on his Yuuri’s lips. “Anything for my Yuuri. You know, I did mean what I said before.” 

“What?” Yuuri’s eyes glimmered as Victor smiled wider.

“You’d be a great teacher for Yura. You’re patient, you’re kind, you’re determined – everything an ideal teacher should be for their student.” 

Yuuri smiled. “But, I shouldn’t be just a teacher to him, right? And neither should you.”

Victor considered it, then nodded. “Right, we’re his coaches but also his parents. It’s not good to let the two mix.”

“ _You_ seemed to blur the line between coach and lover though.” Yuuri reminded. “If I can recall, the coaches I had apart from you never kissed me on live, national television.”

“A moment of passion!” Victor cried out, the back of his hand coming to his forehead while the other clasped his heart. 

In response to that, Yuuri laughed. Victor chuckled along too before they went back to relaxing together in silence. Yuuri’s glasses were slightly fogged, but he found that he didn’t mind all that much for once, as he found himself melting into the warm froth of the sweet-smelling bubbles. Everything else seemed to drain away from his mind, all the housework, the gap between retirement and now; all of it seemed to dilute down into wafer-thin memories, the only things constantly present in his mind was his immediate present of his little family.

 

“I hope Yuri’s having sweet dreams.” Yuuri commented, and Victor nodded in agreement.

“Of tigers and gold medals.” he hummed in reply. 

 

Of course, at that moment, there was a clamour of rapidly approaching steps that bounded their way in their direction, followed by drawling cries. Before Yuuri and Victor could be fully alert enough to register and start to investigate them, scratches clawed their way up the door until the handle went down and in burst a very awake and very excited ball of fluff and slobber, followed by the tired moans of a small child.

“Makkachinnnn, come backkkkk.” Yuri yawned, tired tears in the corners of his eyes. 

It seemed that Makkachin wasn’t quite able to register what his small human child said, as his attention was fully drawn by the bath, which probably looked very full and very fun to him, especially with his two large adult humans enjoying it without him. Makkachin loved baths very, very much. He prepared himself, wagging his tail in swift motions.

Quickly realising, Victor sat up, knocking himself out of his love-dazed relaxed state. “Makkachin, _don’t!_ ”

Makkachin did. Makkachin darted his way up across the bathroom and leaped his way into the tub, splashing everyone and everything within a two-metre radius. Yuri, who had shuffled after the dog, ended up having some of the most devastating effects, as he was suddenly drenched head-to-toe in water and suds, his pajamas quickly sticking to his body. This was a shock, as he was previously still half-asleep.

 

“H-huh?” Yuri yelped, shaking his arms of some of the excess water, flicking the dog as well as Yuuri and Victor with the droplets. “Wh-what is?” he muttered to himself in confusion. 

Yuuri watched as Yuri scrunched his eyes and tried to make sense of the sudden wetness of clothes; and he began to laugh. He clutched his stomach, cackling so intensely he felt like he could never stop. Victor couldn’t help it either, throwing his head back. 

Makkachin barked, wagging his tail, happy that he could join in on the fun, and also because he made it even more fun for everyone, somehow.

“Wha’ is it?” Yuri groaned dozily. “I’m all wet, is this a dream?” 

 

Managing to control himself momentarily, Yuuri leaned over the tub. “You might as well join us now.” He beamed as he hooked his hands under the still-confused Yuri’s arms and hooked him in where he clung himself to Yuuri’s chest. 

“I’m having a bath… with my pajamas on?” Yuri questioned to no one, splashing his hand in the warm water. “I _must_ be dreaming.”

“Really, is it a fun dream?” Victor played along. 

“Yeah. This is… a good dream.” Yuri smiled slightly before shifting himself up the tub to splash at Makkachin, who swiftly engaged the boy in a game.

 

Chuckling to themselves, Victor and Yuuri rested together against the other side of the bath.

“Is this disturbing the relaxation, love?” Victor asked.

Yuuri thought about it for a moment before he shook his head. “No. This is relaxing in its own way. Seeing Yuri happy, you happy. That relaxes me.” He confirmed.

“I see. I feel the same.” 

“Besides,” Yuuri chirped, then leaned into Victor’s ear. “I’m counting on that massage, Vitenka.” He winked.

“Ah! R-right!” 

“After we dry Yuri off and put him in bed again.” Yuuri noted. “Looks like we’ll be up for much of the night…”

“R-r-ri-right.” Victor flushed, gulping down the rest of his champagne.

 

Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Yuuri rested on Victor’s shoulder, who in turn rested his chin on top of his head. He listened peacefully to the barks of his pup and the laughs of his Yuri, and the splashes coming from the other side of the bath as boy and dog engaged in a splash battle. 

This, Yuuri thought, was the most relaxed he’s ever felt. Everything, at that moment, was perfect. He was truly happy, not only because he felt content with himself for the first time in what seemed like a long time, but also because the ones he loved the most were happy too. Victor and him poured their hearts out to each other, and filled them back up with love; and they felt more confident than ever. It didn’t matter if they felt insecure again, because Yuuri was sure they’d tell each other; it didn’t matter if they felt lonely again, because Yuuri was sure they’d tell each other; it didn’t matter what struggles they faced, because Yuuri was sure they’d face them together. 

Now that Yuuri thought about it, as he breathed in the sweet cherry blossom scent, he was pretty sure that he didn’t even mind the idea of doing chores in the morning; because Victor would be there to help him. In fact, with him doing all that housework with Victor and by Victor’s side, all the while Yuri looks up at him, Yuuri felt like everything would be a lot easier. He felt like it would all fly by a lot quicker.

Because, to Yuuri, everything felt like it went faster when he was with them.

**Author's Note:**

> the powers of SPONTANEOUS☆INSPIRATION strike again! da-da!
> 
> Ah, why can I never right pure fluff? why must I always make characters suffer before I can give them their happy ending?  
> and once again, I just loveeeeee conflict and resolution, don't i? i liked writing victor's sufferings, actually. perhaps i'll visit the depths of his inner despair again one day? :)))))))))))))) the one this is a gift to just loves it when i make the characters angsty, especially if i write about victor's internal suffering, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhhtt?
> 
> ☆ if anyone can find anything that looks a bit weird, doesn't make sense or perhaps find any grammatical or punctuation mistakes, please let me know so I can fix them! ☆
> 
> hope you enjoyed, and happy holidays!!! ☆☆


End file.
